Sectumsempra

6

The next day, Harry barely said a word. He only spoke to dismiss his the questions his friends made of whether he was okay. They didn't insist much. The incident of last night had already roamed the hallways and a lot of people knew what had happened. It had that secrecy touch to it, people talked about it in whispers, but the word was spreading. Ron and Hermione knew, too. Harry told them.

Harry was dreading the moment he would see Malfoy. But strangely that moment wasn't coming. The whole day went by without Harry meeting Draco. They had left their last class of the day and were walking just out of the castle's front doors, toward their usual spot under the tree. There were many other students around, too.

Harry had his gaze to the ground all the while, watching his own feet move as he walked. His mind was wandering aimlessly, unable to focus. Then a hard push from the back brought him back to reality, he almost fell, but could keep his balance. He got his balance back, turned to see what had happened and saw Draco's fist hurrying to his face. He had barely understood what was going on when he felt the pain and had his hand holding his bleeding nose. Second time this year, huh.

Harry considered saying this out loud but the next thing he knew, Malfoy had jump onto him, this time taking him to the ground and falling on top of him. And punching him. Again and again. Ron, somewhat in despair, kicked Malfoy, making him fall to the side, and helped Harry up along with Hermione.

No one said anything during a half second. Everyone was a little too confused to say anything. Harry was panting half bending, one arm on his thigh for support, the other holding his nose. Draco was panting on the ground, putting his elbows beneath him so that he could look at Harry; rage burning in his face. He slowly began to stand up, holding his ribs with a hand, his enraged expression giving place to pain.

"What the fuck, Malfoy," Hermione broke the silence. "That's it. Harry, we're gonna report him, he can't get out of that one, they'll have to do something." Her last word fell short by Harry's interruption.

"No."

"What?"

"No, leave it," Harry said.

"What?" said Ron and Hermione together.

"Just forget it. Leave it. And I need some time alone, too. Please."

"Let me just fix that for you," said Hermione pointing her wand at Harry's nose. "Episkey," she said and Harry's nose made a crack noise as its bone returned to its correct shape.

At that moment, Malfoy had managed to stand. "Same place," he said faintly and starting to make back to the castle, bumping hard – or as hard as he could – into Harry's shoulder.

"What did he mean?" asked Ron.

"I don't know," Harry lied.

"What same place?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know, okay!?" Harry answered in a snap, accidentally rude. "Just let me alone for a while. Please. I need to think."

His friends reluctantly agreed and went to their spot on the tree, while Harry started to make back to the castle. Should I go? He asked himself every few steps as he walked through Hogwarts corridors and went up Hogwarts staircases. When he realized he was already approaching the third floor corridor the question in his mind changed to, Am I really going?

He was. He opened the door and stepped in. As soon as he closed the door and turned he felt a tight grip on his robes and fists pushing his chest back. He hit the door hard, the air left his lungs and he gasped for breath for a second. Then came the punch, on the nose, breaking it again. He felt to the side.

"Hermione is not here anymore to cure you," Draco said. He then bent over Harry. Punching him hard. Shaking him by his clothes, pulling him only to push him back hard against the ground.

Harry let him. For a moment, he thought, he'd let him.

Draco was sobbing now, his thrusts weren't as strong anymore, his pushing became more of a spasm as he cried uncontrollably.

That's enough, thought Harry and pushed Draco hard to the side so he could get up. He went to where Draco lay and now it was his turn to give a punch in the face. And another. And a third one. He paused, unsure of what to do next. He never saw Draco draw his wand.

"Stupefy!"

Harry flew a few feet and slid a couple more along the corridor. He stayed there. Draco stayed at his spot. For a while, there was stillness and a silence broken only by Draco's sobs. A tear streamed down Harry's face, too. Then another and a third and a fourth. And then Harry was sobbing, too.

They both took support on their elbows and faced each other lying on the ground.

"I hate you," Draco said simply. He had no energy left to scream. "I hate you, you fucking bastard." His voice cracked in the last sentence.

"Yeah," was all Harry managed to say. He really didn't have much more to say. He understood what Draco was saying, he knew what Draco was talking about. Harry having thrown a strong curse like the one he had the night before was reason enough for Draco to hate him, and still Draco wasn't talking about that. He was talking about how Harry has been treating him that whole time. "You're no saint either."

Draco laughed sarcastically at that. "Oh I'm not a saint either, am I? You're a fucking asshole. You don't care about anyone, do you?"

"Oh, because you do? You care about people, Malfoy?" Harry raised himself a little more to almost sit. "You dad," his voice was raising its tone, "is a fucking. Death Eater." Harry started to scream and Draco quickly threw an Imperturbable Charm on the door. "HE WORKS FOR VOLDEMORT."

"MY FATHER DOES. I'm not him."

"But you will be. I'm not fucking blind, Malfoy, I've looked at your arm, for fuck's sake."

Draco instinctively reached his hand to his forearm, where the tattoo of a skull and a snake danced in his skin.

"Nice and big, right? So you'll never lose sight of your duty, I guess. How's that working for you?" Harry said.

Draco kept silent for a while and Harry thought he heard a stifled sob.

"It doesn't matter anyway. It's over. We're over. Whatever it was that we had. It's over, it's done," Harry said, beginning to get up. "You hear me?"

"Oh too bad, cause it was really being a very sweet dream for me. Really a dream to be fucked by you every day and not to get as much as a word. A fucking word. You can paint me as much as a sick bastard as you want, Potter, you're no different than me."

"I am, Malfoy. Because I don't take pride in being your father's son. And I'd never follow into his steps. You're a little shit and you're pathetic and a coward. I think our ways are well past parted. You go be good daddy's boy, and prepare to be Voldemort's bitch. At least something you're good at. I'll go on fighting for what I believe. And if we meet in a battlefield, don't fool yourself, you'll be no different than any other Death Eater for me. And I'll kill you just the same." Harry made for the door.

"I don't..." Draco begin, but stopped talking and just stayed there, on the ground, crying.

Harry opened the door and left.